31 October 2026
(IMAGE: AI)
In November, some of the rules Ukrainians are accustomed to will remain unchanged, but new requirements and procedures will be introduced in several areas. These include, in particular, banking services, subsidies, reservations, rules for drivers, and international shipments.
In November, the Pension Fund will pay subsidies for the purchase of solid heating fuel under a new procedure for the 2026/27 heating season. Before making the payment, the fund will verify whether the individual has received the one-time fuel purchase assistance provided under a separate program and funded by international organizations. If no such assistance was received, the designated state fuel subsidy will be paid in November. At the same time, the subsidy for other housing and utility services—if the person is eligible for it—will remain in effect.
Households without centralized heating and that do not use natural gas or electricity for heating their homes are eligible for the solid fuel subsidy. It is granted once a year upon personal application. Even if a person has received this subsidy in the past, they must submit a new application and a declaration of income and expenses. Applications can be submitted via the Pension Fund’s web portal or app, the “Diya” portal, a Pension Fund service center, a Center for Administrative Services (CAS), a local government office, or by mail. There is no need to separately confirm whether a person has received international fuel assistance: the Pension Fund obtains this information through data sharing.
The subsidy amount is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on household income. In 2026, the calculation will be based on a social standard of two metric tons of solid fuel per household and a maximum cost of 4,602.57 hryvnias per metric ton. Thus, the estimated cost of fuel is 9,205.14 hryvnias. However, this does not mean that everyone will receive exactly this amount. The actual amount of the subsidy depends on the household’s income and its mandatory share of expenses.
Starting November 1, the electricity rate for residential consumers will remain unchanged. The government has left the current rate unchanged until April 30, 2027, so the public will continue to pay 4.32 hryvnia per kWh. The previous decision was in effect until October 31, 2026.
A seasonal preferential rate remains in effect for households with electric heating, as well as for certain buildings without gas service or centralized heat supply. If monthly consumption does not exceed 2,000 kWh, electricity costs 2.64 hryvnia per kWh for the entire amount consumed. If this limit is exceeded, a rate of 4.32 hryvnia per kWh applies to the entire monthly consumption. The preferential rate remains in effect until April 30, 2027.
The price of gas for residential customers will also remain unchanged in November. The government has left the current gas pricing rules unchanged through March 31, 2027. For Naftogaz customers, the annual “Fixed” rate is 7.96 hryvnia per cubic meter and remains in effect through April 30, 2027.
Starting November 14, banks and other payment service providers that have signed the Memorandum on Transparency in the Payment Services Market are tightening restrictions on certain sole proprietorships deemed high-risk. This applies, in particular, to newly established entrepreneurs and sole proprietors who are resuming operations after a long hiatus. For clients in the first group, the transfer limit is being reduced from 600,000 to 400,000 hryvnias per month, and for the second and third groups—from 3 million to 1 million hryvnias. For certain legal entities with a higher risk level, the limit is reduced from 5 million to 2 million hryvnias per month.
The new restrictions do not automatically apply to all business owners. Banks must apply them using a risk-based approach; therefore, for sole proprietors who operate transparently, pay taxes on time, and can verify their sources of income, such limits should not be imposed automatically. If, however, a bank has set such a limit for an entrepreneur and it does not meet the business’s needs, the sole proprietor may request that the limit be raised and provide documents confirming the need for larger transaction volumes.
The memorandum is not a law or a resolution of the National Bank. It consists of voluntarily agreed-upon rules for banks and other participants in the payment market who have joined the initiative. Their purpose is to strengthen oversight of accounts through which atypical or non-transparent transactions pass, particularly when funds are quickly transferred onward without a clear connection to the customer’s business activities.
Starting November 1, Oschadbank is changing its fees for certain services for individual customers. The service fee for inactive checking accounts without a debit card will increase to 150 hryvnias. In addition, for customers on the “My Account” tariff plan, SMS notifications about transactions will cost 40 hryvnias per month, Viber messages will cost 25 hryvnias, and push notifications in the app will remain free.
PrivatBank has notified some holders of the “Universal” card about changes to the terms of use for the credit limit effective November 1. Specific terms depend on the subscription plan: according to the published rates, for cards without a subscription, the minimum payment is 5%, and the grace period is up to 55 days, whereas for the “Privat,” “Privat Pro,” and “Spilna Pro” subscriptions, the rates are 4% and up to 62 days, respectively. Therefore, customers should check the terms specific to their card in Privat24.
Starting October 31, the period of general mobilization in Ukraine is extended by another 90 days—until January 29, 2027. Martial law has also been extended for the same period.
The transition to updated rules for identifying critically important enterprises will also continue in November. In late October, the government required ministries and regional military administrations to review sectoral and regional criteria for criticality within ten days. To approve the updated criteria, the government has also established a Coordination Center for the Organization of Reservations, which, among other things, will approve increases in reservation quotas exceeding 50%. At the same time, the review of the criteria itself does not automatically revoke an enterprise’s status as a critical enterprise or the reservation of its employees.
For enterprises in the defense-industrial and fuel-energy sectors, the government has set a maximum reservation rate of 95% of employees subject to military service. The head of the enterprise determines exactly which employees to reserve within this limit. When calculating the maximum percentage, employees who have been granted a deferral from mobilization for other reasons—such as parents of multiple children or guardians—are also taken into account.
Starting November 1, the procedure for determining the need for special vehicle equipment for drivers who require it due to health conditions will change. During a medical examination, doctors will determine whether a person needs an adapted vehicle and will make a corresponding note in the medical certificate. Specific equipment (hand controls, modified pedals, etc.) must be determined by authorized staff at regional service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Based on the results, they will issue a separate certificate.
If it is determined that the vehicle requires special equipment, the corresponding code will be entered in column 12 of the driver’s license. When obtaining a license, the medical certificate indicating the need for adaptation must be submitted along with the service center’s certificate specifying the required adaptations. The resolution itself does not require all drivers with existing licenses to automatically replace them as of November 1.
At the same time, the practical procedure has not yet been fully finalized. As of October 29, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is only conducting a public discussion of a draft order intended to define the procedure for such assessments and the requirements for service center employees. Thus, the resolution takes effect on November 1; however, as of October 29, the detailed procedure for determining such adaptations has not yet been approved.
Starting November 1, the rules for customs clearance of goods that Ukrainian sellers send to buyers in European Union countries will change. The new requirements apply to distance selling, specifically online stores, sellers on marketplaces, and those on social media. These rules do not apply to ordinary non-commercial shipments, such as private packages sent to relatives or friends.
When processing a commercial shipment, the seller will need to provide two mandatory product identifiers: the seller’s code and the manufacturer’s or supplier’s code. If the product has an international identifier, such as an EAN, GTIN, UPC, or ISBN, that must also be provided. If no such code exists, there is no need to obtain one specifically. If a person manufactures and sells goods themselves and has not previously used such codes, they can create their own alphanumeric designations. If the goods are sold through a marketplace, the seller code may already have been assigned by the platform itself.
The seller won’t have to submit this information separately to customs: it must be provided when processing the shipment through a postal or logistics operator, after which it will be included in the customs declaration. Therefore, sellers should check in advance whether their goods have their own SKUs, and for third-party-manufactured goods, whether the manufacturer’s or supplier’s code is known. The absence of required identifiers may lead to delays in customs clearance or the return of the shipment. "Ukrposhta" began applying the updated procedures for shipments to the EU as early as October 24 to ensure that the necessary electronic data is submitted to European customs authorities in a timely manner.
In addition, starting November 1, a customs processing fee will be introduced for goods purchased online outside the EU and delivered to buyers within the European Union. The fee will be 2 euros per line item on the customs declaration, rather than simply for the shipment as a whole. For example, if several identical T-shirts in a single shipment are declared on one line, the fee will be 2 euros; if the declaration includes three different items, the fee will be 6 euros. The fee will also apply to shipments costing more than 150 euros. Formally, it is paid by the party filing the customs declaration, but these costs may be included in the shipping cost for the seller or buyer. “Ukrposhta,” in particular, plans to automatically add this fee when processing a shipment.
Олег Пархітько
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